Actions

Urban Meyer suspended for three games by Ohio State for mishandling domestic abuse case

Image copyright 2017 Getty Images. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

Joe Robbins

<p>Head coach Urban Meyer of the Ohio State Buckeyes looks on as they play the Wisconsin Badgers during the second half of the the Big Ten Championship game at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 2, 2017 in Indianapolis, Indiana. </p>

By:
CNN

Posted at 6:17 PM, Aug 22, 2018

and last updated2018-08-22 21:25:55-04

Ohio State University football coach Urban Meyer was suspended for three games without pay in the wake of an investigation into exactly what he knew about spousal abuse allegations leveled against former assistant coach Zach Smith, the university announced Wednesday night.

Athletic Director Gene Smith was suspended without pay from August 31 to September 16, according to a summary of the investigative findings and university actions.

"Although neither Urban Meyer, nor Gene Smith condoned or covered up the alleged domestic abuse by Zach Smith, they failed to take sufficient management action relation to Zach Smith's misconduct and retained an assistant coach who was not performing as an appropriate role model for OSU student-athletes," the summary said.

The announcement followed a 10-hour meeting held by the Ohio State University Board of Trustees discussing the job status of the famed football coach and three-time national championship winner.

Ohio State put Meyer on paid leave August 1, saying it wanted to investigate exactly what he knew about the allegations leveled against former assistant coach Zach Smith.

Ohio State fired Smith on July 23, three days after he was served with a civil protection order on behalf of his ex-wife, Courtney Smith. She has accused her former husband of abuse, including domestic violence in 2009 and 2015.

The day after Smith's firing, Meyer told reporters that he knew about the 2009 allegation, but didn't know about the 2015 allegation.

Then Courtney Smith told Stadium, a sports network, that she told Shelley Meyer about the alleged 2015 incident that year -- leading to speculation about whether the coach did know.

Ohio State, already embroiled in separate scandals involving alleged sex abuse by a now-deceased athletics doctor and a diving coach, put Meyer on leave and formed a group led by a former Securities and Exchange Commission chairwoman to conduct an investigation.

Meyer later said that he had been inadequately prepared to discuss the issue in late July, and that he had "followed reporting protocols and procedures ... regarding the Zach Smith incident in 2015."

Zach Smith told ESPN on August 3 that he indeed discussed the 2015 incident with Meyer as police investigated the matter. Meyer told him that "if I find out you hit her, you're done," Smith recalled to ESPN.

Meyer has one of the best college football winning percentages of all time, with 188 wins and only 34 losses in 17 years.